Playing With Fire
by lucycantdance
Summary: Daryn has long wanted Keira for his own, and has now decided to get rid of the competition. The Prince of Mirkwood is going to pay a very high price for being said competition, and it's up to Keira to ensure his safety and wellbeing. ON HIATUS.


**A/N, 6th Feb 2009: I refined it :D the first two chapters are now combined to make one longer one, and hopefully it flows a bit nicer. I also added a character that didn't exist when I first wrote this, haha. Sorry to all the people who reviewed the first time, but those reviews are lost because I deleted the old chapters. But they really mean a lot to me. Thanks so much!  
**

**Summary:** Daryn has long been hassling Keira, and wants her for his own. He's now decided to get rid of the competition and the Prince of Mirkwood is going to pay a very high price for being that competition. It's up to Keira to ensure his safety and wellbeing, but as always there are obstacles.

This is not the first story in this particular saga, so, just to clear a few things up:

**-** Daryn is obsessed with Keira and wants her for his own, but Keira doesn't like him like that.

**-** Just as a head's up, Daryn is a wee bit insane.

**-** Keira loves Legolas and Legolas loves Keira, but neither will admit it. Keira just broke up with her boyfriend and Legolas's father is determined that he'll marry a princess from a neighbouring realm.

**-** Their ages and maturity are equivalent to about 16 human years.

- Kodia is a town inhabited by mostly humans, smack bang between Lorien and Mirkwood. Keira, Erulissë and Evan are attending the local high school while they're staying in Mirkwood. Usually Lord Elrond stays in Mirkwood while they're there, but this time he's stayed in Rivendell.

Rated **PG13+** for a few graphic details, and adult themes.

* * *

The day started out relatively normal, with no sign of what was to come. No grey clouds, no sinister feeling hanging in the air, nothing. The only thing that hung in the air was the lingering scent of last night's rain.

Keira Peredhel and her friends, twins Erulissë and Evan, woke up, got ready for school, ate breakfast and then rode the short distance to Kodia together, talking and laughing as they always did. Legolas, prince of Mirkwood, had the day off because there was a council that his father wished for him to attend.

The young elves attended Kodia High, a human school in a town near the Mirkwood border. They put their horses in the stables when they arrived and walked into their roll call classes, Evan splitting from the girls as he walked to his separate one on the other end of the building. The teacher wasn't in the room yet, so Erulissë sat in her chair and slumped down, while Keira sat on the table and used the chair as a footrest, surveying the room as if searching for something. Erulissë watched her closely and realised that something wasn't right. Keira seemed...paranoid, as if something was going to go wrong.

"What's up?"

Keira turned around to look at her friend. "Huh?"

"You seem paranoid. What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing. Legolas had a weird dream last night, and I was just wondering where Daryn was."

"Did he say it had something to do with Daryn?"

"No, but he said that it was really hot, and that he couldn't breathe and all he could see was red, orange and yellow around him. I just have a feeling that Daryn's involved somehow."

Lissi raised her eyebrows. "Weird," she said. "He's not usually one to have, like, visions like that."

"No, he's not."

"Maybe Daryn's just late," Erulissë said as Keira started to watch the door.

Keira nodded, but she wasn't totally convinced. "Maybe..." At that moment the horn sounded to signal the start of class. The sounds of chairs scraping on the floor could be heard as everyone got into their seats. The teacher walked in a second later.

"Good morning, students." He greeted.

"Good morning, Sir." The students replied in a monotone. He sat down at his desk and started to call the roll. He had just finished when Daryn walked in, slightly out of breath.

"Daryn, you're late," the teacher announced.

"I know, Sir. My horse slipped a shoe and I had business to attend to."

"Oh? What type of business?" the teacher inquired.

"Oh, you know. People to deceive, fires to start." That was Daryn's standard reply to anyone who asked him what his business was, so no one thought anything of it. The teacher just shook his head and went back to calling the roll.

Daryn sat down in front of Keira and Erulissë, and Keira thought she could smell smoke on him but a second later the scent was gone so she assumed she'd imagined it. Daryn turned around and handed her a note, and she unfolded it and scanned the writing on it.

_Soon, all of this pretending will be over, dearest Keira, and you will be able to reveal your true feelings to me. Soon, no one, not even that pathetic excuse for a prince will stand in our way, and you will be mine to enjoy whenever I want._

Keira snorted disbelievingly. Daryn was so full of it, just like he always was. He had this perverted idea that she was in love with him and no one, not even she, could dissuade him. There was something unsettling about the possible deeper meaning of his statement...she passed the note to Erulissë, who read it and frowned. Daryn had turned around so his back was to the two elves, and Erulissë pointed at Daryn with one finger then moved it in invisible swirls by her ear, as if saying 'he's crazy'. Keira grinned and nodded.

The horn for normal classes rang and Keira grinned as she got up. "Yay, mathematics; yay trigonometry; yay Mr Mye!"

Erulissë gave her a weird look and Keira raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Lissi just shook her head. "You're weird." She picked up her bag and headed for the door. Keira poked her tongue out at her friend's retreating back, then followed the blonde out of the classroom.

***

Keira put her book and pencil case into her satchel when the school day finished and began the inevitable fight with the zip to get the bag closed. When she did, she stood up and hoisted it onto her shoulder with a groan.

"Valar, this bag weighs a _tonne_."

Erulissë laughed and raised an eyebrow. "I thought nothing was too heavy for _you_, oh mighty daughter of Lord Elrond."

"Oh, ha, ha," Keira replied sarcastically. "You try to lift it then." She held the bag out to her friend.

"Alright, I will." Erulissë took it, then tipped sideways as the bag was heavier than she expected and she couldn't compensate for the extra weight quick enough. "God! What do you have in there, an Oliphaunt?!"

"No, just a genetics textbook," Keira replied. Evan laughed at the banter as he walked over to them.

"Ready to go, ladies?"

They nodded and the three of them started to walk down the ramp towards the stables. They were halfway there when they encountered Erurainon, Legolas's older brother. He was in the final year of school, and often had a free period at the end of the day so if he wasn't needed then it was usual for him to be waiting for him. He was leading four horses, his own, the twins' and Keira's, and smiled when they drew close.

When she caught sight of him, Erulissë blushed scarlet all the way to her ears. She had long harboured feelings for the older elf, but had said nothing of them, much to Keira's amusement.

"What are you doing here, Rain?" Keira asked. "I thought you would've stayed home for the council too."

Rain shook his head. "Nope. I had a maths test today that got me out of it, thankfully."

Keira laughed as she took the reins for her horse from the prince. "The only time you've ever looked forward to one, I take it?"

"Damn straight," Rain replied, smiling. He went over to help Erulissë tie her bag onto the saddle, knowing that Keira and Evan could do it by themselves. Lissi blushed all over again as he came to stand close to her, and the blush only intensified when Rain smiled at her.

"There, all done."

Evan exchanged a glance with Keira, who was obviously trying desperately to hold in a comment. The short-haired elf leaned over. "What?" he asked quietly.

Keira dropped her head, trying to restrain her giggles. She started to sing quietly. "Lissi and Rain, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-NG."

Evan laughed, stopping when his twin glared at him. The four of them were among the last students to leave the grounds, but they didn't mind, being in no particular hurry to get home.

They had only walked a few metres out of the school gate, their horses following behind, when an elf rode up on a chestnut horse. He dismounted and ran over to the small group, and by the look of his outfit he was a royal messenger. He got close enough to see who was with the older Prince, and when he identified Keira, the messenger's face acquired a confused expression.

"Lady Keira? I thought you were with Prince Legolas?"

Keira frowned and shook her head. "No, I've been here all day."

The messenger looked shocked, but he was somewhat relieved. His bad news now only included Legolas, instead of being dire information about the King's youngest son and the daughter of Lord Elrond. He turned to Rain.

"My Lord, there is a fire in Mirkwood."

Rain's eyes shadowed. "Where?"

"Northern Mirkwood, My Lord. About 2 leagues from the palace."

_David's Hollow..._ Keira realised. David's Hollow was a clearing exactly 2 leagues from the palace, and had become a sort of hang out for the younger elves at court, a place they went when they needed to get away, either alone or together.

"Is the King safe?" She asked.

The messenger nodded. "Yes, My Lady. He is in the palace."

"What of Prince Legolas?"

The messenger's eyes clouded over. "He said he was going to meet you, My Lady. At...at David's Hollow."

Keira's eyes widened and her face lost all colour. She saw Daryn waiting on the other side of the road, and her eyes narrowed again. Daryn just smiled smugly, and Keira felt fire rise up through her chest. She marched over to him.

"Did you honestly think that killing him would make me love _you_?" she demanded. When Daryn didn't answer she slapped him hard across the face and stormed back over to her friends. Who had all snapped into action and had mounted their horses. The messenger was giving them more details. Keira swung herself into the saddle with consummate ease and bent down near her horse's ear.

"_Noro lim, Norëdur!_" she whispered, then galloped off as if she had the devil on her heels.

* * *

Might be updated, but it most likely won't be soon. I'm trying not to make Keira into a Mary-Sue because that's the last thing I want her to be, but I think I might be failing slightly. XD Slap me if you think she's too Mary-Sueish and I might change some things. By the way, Keira's name in the elvish form is _Kyrra_, but seeing as most people call her Keira anyway she doesn't often go by that name.

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